Alert: Trail and Parking Area Re-Opened - Mt. Alava Trail
National Park of American Samoa
Pola Island rises over 400 feet straight out of the ocean off Tutuila. A short walk from Vatia village, Pola is an ideal nesting site for many species of seabirds. NPS Photo / Michael Larson
Overview
The National Park of American Samoa invites you to discover the vibrant culture and stunning landscapes of the South Pacific. Experience a world unlike any other, where natural beauty and cultural heritage are protected for future generations. Join us in exploring these islands of sacred earth!
Fruit bats are the only native mammals found in American Samoa. The two species of fruit bat and one insect-eating bat species are harmless to people. They have a wingspan close to three feet. As fruit eaters, fruit bats are excellent and vital pollinators. Plants rely on the fruit bat to spread its seeds through droppings. A colony of fruit bats ensures that the tropical rainforest remains healthy and full of new trees.
Located at the top of these points are gun batteries that protected Pago Pago Harbor after bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941. They symbolize American Samoa’s importance as a route from the United States to Australia and New Zealand.
Lower Sa'uma is one of the most famous hiking trails in the National Park of American Samoa, it contains remnants of an early settlement. In Lower Sa'uma, you will take a closer look at house foundations, stone tool manufacturing sites with stone tools scattered everywhere, and mounds and platforms that could be used for chiefly functions.
Each island of American Samoa supports a coral reef ecosystem in its coastal waters. These coral reefs support a variety of marine life typical of tropical Indo-Pacific waters. To date, over 950 species of fish and over 250 species of coral have been documented.
About one mile southeast of Tutuila’s eastern tip is the volcanic island of ‘Aunu’u, the smallest inhabited island. It can be reached by boat and explored by foot. 'Aunu'u Island is an excellent exposure of a relatively young flow of basalt inter-bedded with layers of tuff. The site also illustrates erosion by wave action and is covered with dense tropical vegetation.
